Fed up of 'police harassment', stressed driver attempts suicide

Cops allegedly kept calling — and abusing — a family due to a housebreak committed by a close relative; unable to take the constant harassment, his brother-in-law consumed acid and left a 5-page suicide note, blaming the police

A 35-year-old driver, Manoj Gamre was taken to Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon on Thursday after he consumed acid after allegedly being harassed by the Trombay police.

Manoj Gamre

Manoj was moved to Hinduja Hospital and finally to Nanavati Hospital as his condition was critical. The attempted suicide came after Jyoti (his wife) and he went through considerable trauma due to the alleged mistreatment. The Gamres reside in Bhagat Singh Nagar in Goregaon (West). Jyoti works in a private company.

As per Jyoti, her brother Aakash Mohan Dhivar (22) had committed a housebreak and the incident had been captured on CCTV. Jyoti said that Aakash had many cases of theft registered against him, due to which he had gone to jail for 9 months.

Jyoti said that the Trombay police were regularly summoning her and Manoj to the police station since the past one week, in connection with her brother, and that the cops were even abusing them. Jyoti has two daughters and a son, and leaves them with her aged mother-in-law whenever she goes to the police station.

Manoj used to come home and weep. On Wednesday night, they came back home and on Thursday they were again called to the police station. “I told the police that my kids were having exams and therefore it was not possible to come to the station but they abused us,” added Jyoti.

Jyoti alleged that on Thursday, when the police summoned the Gamres once again to the police station, Manoj got frustrated and consumed acid to commit suicide. Manoj’s situation has become critical, as due to the consumption of acid, his throat has been damaged and he finds it difficult to breathe.

Jyoti said that if anything happens to her husband, she will hold the Trombay police and her brother Aakash responsible for it. Jyoti said that when Aakash came out of jail, he promised her that he would not henceforth indulge in any criminal activities. That’s why she allowed him to stay with them.

Late night on August 23, the Trombay police took Jyoti and Manoj to the police station. Jyoti alleged that they were at the police station for two days and were later told to go home. Even after that she said the police used to call them to the police station and used to make them sit there till late night and also beat them up.

“Two policemen at the police station, whose names are Gavde and Kadam, hit me and verbally abused me. They used to threaten that if we don’t give them what my brother stole, they will put us in jail,” Jyoti told mid-day.

Bangurnagar police sources said that a case of attempted suicide had been reported on Thursday. The police also recorded Jyoti’s statement. Jyoti submitted a 5-page suicide note to them, written by Manoj, blaming the Trombay police.

Suicide noteA few points from Manoj Gamre’s 5-page suicide note

>> Dear father, please take care of my children and educate them >> My character is as clean as the clothes which I will be wearing during my funeral >> I am not guilty in any way>> The police used to take me and my wife away in the dead of the night >> The police threatened that they would start harassing my parents as well>> They used very bad language when they were beating us up

The other sidePolice said that the allegations were baseless. Police inspector Bhagwaan Gosavi from the Trombay police said, “Jewellery worth Rs 35 lakh has been robbed. The accused is a habitual offender. Police will inquire from those who know the accused.”